Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua addresses the media at Parliament yesterday. PHOTO | DAVID LUBOWA
The Government Chief Whip, Mr Hamson Denis Obua, has vowed to front a solid team to ensure that the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is endorsed to pave the way for the rationalisation of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).
Mr Obua insists that the position on the Bill agreed upon by the Cabinet and approved by President Museveni will be upheld in Parliament once plenary resumes on a date that is yet to be communicated by Parliament.
Flanked by some members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus yesterday, Mr Obua lashed out at a section of legislators that last Thursday blocked Parliament’s attempts to process the legislation meant to rationalise UCDA.
He said the scene witnessed last week was overly premised on emotions, something that lawmakers should avoid.
“I wish to state that the NRM, from the meetings that we have had, is ready to proceed…And we want to appeal to those who are against to raise the substantive issues. We are not going to debate based on sentiments, we are going to debate based on issues. This is the kind of debate that the Parliament must get itself involved in,” Mr Obua told journalists.
On Tuesday, the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus led by Mr Muwanga Kivumbi formed two sets of committees to fight and frustrate the said Bill. The caucus also vowed to obstruct proceedings that would attempt to push the Bill through on the floor of Parliament.
“On the day this Bill is brought to Parliament, all of you, pay attention to detail and do the small things that you are capable of doing to show solidarity with Members of Parliament. We shall not tire, shall not retreat, we shall not surrender,” Mr Kivumbi vowed.
Asked about how the ruling party plans to deal with the Buganda caucus’ threat, Mr Obua said: “We don't have a fall-back position. We have come on the floor of Parliament and we are ready to proceed in line with the rules of procedure of Parliament.”
In a supportive tone, the State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Ms Lilian Aber, vowed that, “as legislators of the country, we will make decisions that are right for the country, we shall carry them forward. For us supporting the issue of rationalisation, no amount of intimidation will cause us to divert.”
In a rather more combative tone, Mr Linos Ngompek (Kibanda North) openly stated: “As members of the NRM, we are ready to take them on because we are not going to sit down. So we are also ready.”
He added: “So I want to send a warning to them that they should not think that they are more than some of us. So we are ready to address them.”
Mr Obua also revealed that President Museveni has invited the NRM-leaning Members of Parliament for a meeting tomorrow at his Kisozi farm in Gomba District
However, he dismissed reports that the said meeting would discuss the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
“I wish to confirm that the Friday NRM Parliamentary Caucus in Kisozi, Gomba District, is primarily a wealth creation meeting where we are going for an evidence-based mission because seeing is believing,” Mr Obua said.
By press time, all legislators slated to attend the meeting in Kisozi were undertaking a mandatory Covid test in the Conference Hall at Parliament.
ABOUT COFFEE
Coffee remains one of the leading foreign exchange earners, and exports for August 2023 to July 2024 totalled 6.3 million 60kg bags worth $1.25 billion.
